Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-10-14

up Inc interest on tnaN ulOI 'SaSS ""J
time you please By-the-wsy I'm tired
of Slayton. He's bounded you. when
YOU were down in a mean way. I'm
sick Of Slayton. I'll send you retSiner
tomorrow of five hundred dollars in a
case I've got against some Providence
people. Big case-big money in it.
How's your brother?-pretty well.
hope. Those California magnates are
all coming East. hear. Think your
brother would like to put any money in
my mill? A big chance now. | don't
need the money, bur it don't pay to keep
all your eggs in one basket. IIo"'S Bes-
ie? Good morning"
"Mr. Mawley, one moment. You
don't let up on me ard send me this
lawsuit because Elisha i i millionaire,
do you:"
"Oh. no, no, no! Ny dear fellow, no,
no! Why, what an idea! By the-way, |
never favored the breaking off of that
march-my son and Bessie. Good
day"
Amasa Snow got round behind the
fence, and laughed and shook until the
entire fence laughed and shook with
him. His little scheme WAS working
well. One needs very little capital in
this world if one can only obtain its
ubstiIute-credit. That week and the
next he had retainers sent him from sew
eral wealthy proprietors in neighbor-
ing manufacturing town. They had
heard OF his brothers millions. lie had
the foreclosure suit discontinued, paid
Mawley his interest got his mortgage
extended indefinitely. What is more,
his business picked up 50 that lie paid
large sum on account all around among
his creditors. They all said: ELISHA
is doing IL for him" He painted and
refurnished the old Snow house. He
ran slightly into debt in doing IL, but
his girls had some new clothes sent
them from New York. He donned Il
new suit OF broad-c!oth, and-he was
happy. He was on his feet. Slayton
was utterly nonplussed. In vain the
willy practitioner went about spreading
doubts as to Elisha having any money
whatever. "Why don't lie buy that
organ?" he kept saying, until people
began TO wonder why indeed.
As soon as the rumor spread about
that Elisha was childless, and that he
intended leaving his money in equal
shares to his six nieces, they went of
literally like hot cakes.
Mawley junior, who really loved the
girl married Bessie, and then they were
all married of in patches of two, until
the youngest refused to marry at all,
saying, with her finger at her lip, "she
preferred TO stay with father"
In one year all this happened. Amasa
Snow was now a successful man-his
debts paid and practice increasing. One
day the rumor reached him-why had
not Elisha paid for that organ!
He went 20 Elisha. at Is time" he
said, "for you to disappear"
81 am very contented here" protest
ed Elisha, "reading the newspapers and
sitting 10 the hotel. 1t agrees with me.
| don't want to disappear"
He liked the adulation extended 10
him on the ground that he was mil
lOnaire. He played the easy, well-fed,
rich plutocrat revisiting his New Eng
land home 10 perfection. His acting
was consummate, because it was nature
itself, without Il mirror being held up TO
it. He had just that amount Of narrow
ness, of close fistedness, OF sagacious
doubt as to the motives Of men who ap-
preached him for schemes OF in vestment,
he acted the millionaire to perfection,
and he never overdid IL.
"Amasa, can't CO." he said. "Tbey
think I'm such good man TO make
money. They have actually brought
money to me TO make more for them.
Yes, I've received over fifty thousand
dollars for Investment within the last |
month"
"Great Scott! exclaimed Amasa.
''That is dreadful! see State Prison
yawning before u.s."
"Well take the money aud 90. then |
90! | will have nothing to do with this
Amasa was very angry. He resolved |
TO be responsible for his brother no
longer. lie went to his daughters, all |
but one now well married and In happy |
Your uncle and have had row."
he said, "He is going back to Califor-
nia."
"And the organ, the new library the
gymnasium?"
"Well, he is mad about something.
He says tile town has sligb,ej him. But
one thing must be understood, whatever
he does-l wash my hands Of him for
ever"
Elisha did leave few days after. lie
took away about hundred thousand
dollars Of widows' aud orphans' funds,
wen, to San Francisco, put his money
into various enterprises, paid the bene-
iciaries eight per cent. interest, was
honest as the day, and died a few years
ago worth great deal OF money, which
he left, share and share alike, to his
brothers. six girls, and he left thou
sand dollars to the new organ.
Amasa still lives--a fairly well-to-do
old country lawyer-sligbtly in debt
still, IN East ChesterVile. Rnt he is the
ado-ed grandpapa Of twelve Of the dear